Chapter 202 King Wilheim“s Reques
"King Wilheim, can we speak in private before we continue this conversation?"
The king glanced at the others in the room and nodded, leading Jack to the balcony. Once there, the king cast and silence, making a barrier to keep anyone from hearing them.
"Please, explain this to me, Jack."
"You said I"m trustworthy, why do you say that?" asked Jack.
"I spoke with Argyle concerning you. Since he"s now your father-in-law, I figured that he should know you well enough. After d.o.g.g.i.ng him enough, he finally mentioned that you know Tralon from the Leisure Guild," explained King Wilheim. "I know nothing of the relations.h.i.+p between you and him, but so long as you"re an acquaintance of his then I can trust you."
"Hmm… I know this is going to sound strange, but can you leave me alone in your silence barrier for a moment. I need to contact someone."
"Of course." Thinking it might involve the a.s.sociation, the king stepped just outside of the silence barrier.
All the king saw was Jack pull out a high-tier contact crystal and have a minute-long conversation. After that, the king saw Jack put the crystal away and motion for him to step back in.
"I have permission to tell you, but this will become a state-level secret. If you dare mention this to anyone, I can guarantee that not only but your family and kingdom will be wiped out. Do you understand, King Wilheim?"
Feeling more weight on his shoulders, the king hesitated but he nodded.
"Very well," continued Jack. "That little girl"s name is Linala, and she"s the daughter of Lunara. Do you know who that is?"
"Lunara… the Water G.o.ddess?!" With his heart jumping out of his chest, King Wilheim struggled to say much else.
"Yeah, that"s her. She has granted me the task of helping her daughter become stronger for the time being. I just spoke with her, and she has asked you to come and find her at Glacier Peak. There, you"ll find a cave. Go down through the cave and you"ll find her hidden shrine," explained Jack.
"Lunara wants to see you within one week"s time. She"s curious how the kingdom has become since she last visited. So long as you go as soon as possible, you should be fine," Jack chuckled.
"Really?! The Water G.o.ddess wishes for me to go and visit her?" asked the king. "I-I"ll go! I"ll leave before nightfall!"
"Good! She"ll explain everything else," added Jack. "Now, didn"t you have something else you wanted to ask me?"
"Oh, right! There"s one last favor to ask of you, but this one is much simpler and well within your capabilities. Also, we"ll reward you handsomely since only you can do this for me."
*****
Those inside the room were either staring at the two men conversing on the balcony or playing around on the bed. Luckily, Maura had already convinced Lina to revert back to her human form.
Eventually, Jack and the king returned to the room.
"Jack, thank you for agreeing to the task. Please, everyone, follow me." Without another word, the king opened the main door and left the room.
Jack grabbed Maura"s hand and rubbed Lina"s head. "Little Sis, it"s time to go!"
"Ahhh…" Lina sighed and followed as she held their hands.
Erina did the same, grabbing her big brother"s hand and shutting the door behind them as they left.
With the king in the lead, no one dared to stop any of them. Thanks to that, they all entered the giant courtyard with the teleportation relic. The king led them up onto the relic, using it as a stage.
Not ten minutes had pa.s.sed before a large crowd of people emerged and entered the courtyard. It was almost full by the time people stopped trickling in.
Willim was especially perplexed. He recognized everyone in the courtyard and was surprised that every member of the royal family and all of the royal guards had been summoned altogether. Whatever his father was planning, he was completely clueless.
"Brother, what"s the meaning of this!" shouted a man who was just below the platform.
"Weis, don"t worry, I"m just announcing something," stated the king, easing the tension of the surprise meeting.
"Everyone, I have wonderful news! My daughter, Princess Erina, has been cured of her illness thanks to this young man!" Motioning toward Jack, the king continued, "This is Jack, the rising hero of the Adventurers a.s.sociation. He has done us an amazing service, for that reason I"ve summoned you all. I"m announcing the betrothal between Jack and my beautiful daughter Erina!"
Applause roared and filled the courtyard. It was sudden, but it made sense for such a thing to happen.
Maura, Willim, Erina, and Lina were all startled, especially Erina, whose face became riper than a tomato.
"I"ve asked Jack to say a few words, so hear him out!"
Jack stepped forward, standing to the left of the king. "Please, just call me Jack. I"m just glad that Erina is doing alright now. To describe it, I think a poem would best explain it, so please let me recite."
With a cough, Jack cleared his throat. He smiled wide and took a deep breath.
"By the fire in h.e.l.l and the chaos in the earth, I call upon thy power to show me thy follower"s birth!"
Suddenly, pitch-black clouds appeared and loomed over the entire courtyard. Those witnessing this were in a panic, unsure of what was happening.
"As turmoil and blood wash the world over, let my blood guide thy signs as they crossover!"
Jack continued and slashed his forearm. Using the blood, Jack started painting a circle around him.
"Stop that--"
"SILENCE!!!"
Just as the king"s brother was about to order someone to stop Jack, the king"s voice echoed and shook the entire courtyard.
"Those who dare touch Jack or dare to leave shall be marked as enemies of the state!" shouted the king, changing the mood entirely. While guards appeared and lined all the exits, the king looked at the other members of the royal family, noticing many with grim expressions.
"What"s wrong? Speak up!"
"Y-your majesty, that young man is casting black magic. If he keeps this up, then we"ll--"
"Shut up!" retorted the king. "Jack was able to help the Reinolt Kingdom remove the leech that is the Chaos Syndicate, so I asked him to help me do the same. All who dare speak now will be labeled as syndicate members and slaughtered. Otherwise, wait till he"s finished!"
Many people were visibly shaking, terrified of what the king had just said.
For the innocent, it was the king"s admittance that their nation was also under the syndicate"s influence.
For the guilty, it was their death sentence.
The king"s brother was also trembling, though not quite as much as others. He swallowed some saliva and asked, "Brother, how--"
"SILENCE! I"ve given the order, and all who break it will peris.h.!.+"
Just then, a rush of frost filled the entire courtyard with the king at the center. Though the other royals were strong, King Wilheim was lv. 62 and outcla.s.sed them all. They had no choice but to wait in silence or be killed on the spot, even his brother.
Finished with the blood circle, Jack finished up. "Skaryn, reveal thy intent and let the world behold thy servant"s work!"
"Crack! CRACK!!"
Black lightning scattered across the clouds, making those unknowing n.o.bles below quiver in fear.
"Bother--"
"Thy deeds shan"t remain hidden, and thy hands shan"t go berserk!"
Weiss tried to interrupt but Jack paid them no mind. To him, he didn"t care what anyone was saying or doing. With the king standing directly beside him, no one there would be able to affect his performance of the ritual.
"CRACK!!!"
More black lightning appeared, descending into the crowd and blasting into almost one-fifth of the people gathered in the crowd. Both royals and guards were blasted, proving that the king"s fear.
"All who are bathed in black lightning shall perish immediately as traitors to Aazoon! Everyone, pa.s.s judgment now!"
All unaffected royal guards took action. Though they knew these people personally, the moment they were revealed as syndicate members, all trust and past relations.h.i.+ps were thrown out without prejudice.
"But I"m your brother! Surely, you can"t--"
Weiss tried to talk his way out of punishment but was frozen solid before he could finish his first sentence.
With the king acting personally and the help of all the royal guards and n.o.bles, the syndicate members didn"t stand a chance. They were too ill-prepared for such a circ.u.mstance and had underestimated the king greatly.
Within fifteen minutes, all syndicate members were slaughtered and the royal guards started cleaning up.
"Now…" Turning to his son and daughter, the king laughed, "Sorry for not telling you about his, but it had to be done immediately and without flaw. If such threats appear while you"re king, I hope you can act in a similar manner, Willim."
"And Erina, I"m sorry for playing with your feelings like that, but I needed to give Jack a reason to speak that would keep everyone calm. This was the best we could think of."
"So… I"m not…"
"No, you"re not betrothed to Jack, not unless you want to be," laughed the king.